Just getting started...need some advice on routines

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weirauchk
weirauchk Posts: 2 Member
in Getting Started
Hi all. I am a 27 year old female and I currently am weighting in at 170lbs, when I started MFP a couple of weeks ago I was at 178. Clearly, I have lost some pounds quickly. I have been doing a combination of cardio and strength training with the machines at my local gym. I have been training only a couple of days a week prior to starting, but since MFP have been now going to the gym at least 5 days a week in order to reach my goal weight: 135lbs. I am looking for a good routine for cardio and machine weight training on a 5 day a week program to reach my 40lb weight loss goal. Right now I am at 1200 calories a day. I have made the mistake of eating back too many exercise calories this week, finding out the overestimation error the hard way, and I don't think I have lost any weight. Is 1200 too little for 5 days a week strength and cardio training?

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  • synchrohobbit
    synchrohobbit Posts: 58 Member
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    How hungry are you feeling? And after already 8 lbs of weight loss, what makes you think you are overestimating your exercise calories? You must have set a 2 lb/week goal to be at only 1200 calories, so to keep your metabolism strong eating back your calories is probably a good idea.
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
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    Hi there. For a cardio routine anything is good. For me, personally, I try to mix it up between the different machines. If I'm doing an hour of cardio at the gym I'll normally do 15 minutes rowing, then 15 biking, then 15 on the elliptical and then 15 on the treadmill. If I have it in me, I try to to a little high intensity stuff in there to get the heart pounding hard. 30 seconds all out and a minute or so rest then repeat.

    Getting comfortable in the gym is a big problem for a lot of people trying to lose weight. We don't push ourselves hard and often make the mistake of finding one thing and doing only that with a specific static goal we call a workout (i.e. walking on the treadmill for 3 miles might be hard at first but eventually easy... then we keep only going 3 miles whenever we go rather than bumping up the distance or adding an incline as we get better).

    For the weight training the best bet is probably just to talk to a trainer at the gym and if it's not free pay for a session to build a routine that will normally get you starting weights, rep sets, order of exercise and all that. Also, it might be a little embarrassing, but if you see someone there all the time most people lifting weights are happy to help others do it safely, plus its a good way to make friends.

    The other thing is that NO ONE really wants to go to the gym five days a week and so it might help to find some non-gym activities you enjoy that can replace the time you have to spend in there. When you get to a target weight dropping the gym is the easiest thing in the world at that point while giving up friends in a softball league or dropping out of a martial arts class has some emotional tie ins that might keep you going (and active!).

    Anyway, good luck!
  • svandever101585
    svandever101585 Posts: 188 Member
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    I had amazing results with Focus T25. It is an in home workout program. I lost 30 lbs and 28.5 inches in 10 weeks. The program offers both cardio and resistance training but is more cardio focused. If you would like more information send me a message. Best of Luck!

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